Army commander suspended amid probe into missing Trump, Vance, Hegseth portraits

The commander of Fort McCoy, Col. Sheyla Baez Ramirez, was recently relieved of duty after the U.S. Army base failed to install photos of President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on a wall displaying their chain of command. Ramirez was suspended as garrison commander of Ft. McCoy in Fort Bragg, North Carolina. The U.S. Army Reserve Command stated that the suspension is not related to any misconduct and that further details will be provided once the matter is under review.

The Defense Department (DOD) launched an investigation into why the wall displaying the chain of command at Ft. McCoy had empty frames where the images of Trump, Vance, and Hegseth should have been displayed. A new image posted by the department showed that the frames had been filled, and an investigation has begun to determine what happened.

Ramirez took on the role of garrison commander in July of the previous year. Prior to this position, she had served as the chief of the Reserve Program at the United States Army Intelligence and Security Command at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, and in various other roles throughout the Army and Army Reserves.

This move comes amid a series of leadership shake-ups across the U.S. military. Earlier this month, the Pentagon fired the base commander for Pituffik Space Force Base in Greenland after she was found to have “undermined” Vice President Vance.

After Vance’s visit, Col. Susannah Meyers, the former commander of Pituffik Space Force Base, sent an email to base personnel expressing her concerns about the U.S. administration’s discussions led by Vice President Vance. She was subsequently relieved of command due to a loss of confidence in her ability to lead, with the Space Force emphasizing the importance of commanders adhering to the highest standards of conduct and remaining nonpartisan in their duties.

Defense Secretary Hegseth also recently fired four former aides following in-fighting and a leak investigation. He attributed the leaks to “disgruntled employees” and took action to address the situation.

Overall, these events underscore the importance of upholding professionalism and integrity within the U.S. military, especially in leadership positions. As investigations continue and new leadership transitions occur, the focus remains on maintaining the highest standards of conduct and nonpartisanship in military operations.